Sunday 13 July 2014

War Memorial Gravestones in Ardsley Churchyard and Cemetery

During both the First and Second World Wars re-repatriation of the bodies of fallen servicemen and women was not usual.  The Unknown Soldier, entombed in Westminster Abbey represents those buried and commemorated overseas who could not come home.  For many families, deprived of a graveside at which to mourn, one solution was to add the name of their lost son (or daughter) to the family gravestone in their local churchyard.  

The Imperial War Museum's War Memorials' Archive defines a War Memorial as "any tangible object which has been erected or dedicated to commemorate those killed as a result of war, conflict or peacekeeping; who served in war or conflict; or who died whilst engaged in military service."  This includes gravestones which commemorate a casualty buried elsewhere.  There must be a clear statement on the memorial (or in a printed document such as a newspaper report from the time) that defines the commemorative purpose of the feature and reports its erection. The full wording of their definition can be found here.

Map of Ardsley Cemetery
Click to enlarge

Thus gravestones which include wording such as: died of wounds received in action, killed in action, fell in France, died on active service, reported missing in action, or even killed accidentally while on active service all count as War Memorials.  The wording is a "clear statement" that the purpose of recording that person's name on the gravestone is as a memorial.

Graves which are situated on the site of the burial of a casualty, such as Commonwealth War Graves, are not War Memorials, however the Barnsley War Memorials Project is also collecting their details for inclusion in the Barnsley Roll of Honour.

There are two Commonwealth War Graves Commission burials in Ardsley Churchyard and fifteen in Ardsley Cemetery in addition to the War Memorials gravestones listed below.  

Edit June 2021: The CWGC burials in Ardsley Churchyard and Cemetery have been moved to a new page with additional information.

Further information and a larger picture of the memorial has been provided where the name is coloured blue, click to follow the link.

 Gravestone Location
Section Row No.
FindAGrave
Soldier's Name & Regiment
Date of Death
Photograph
 Churchyard
38

ARD07/02

FindAGrave
Richard Vere Potts

East Kent Regt

16 Jan 1917
Churchyard Extension
J07

ARD07/03

FindAGrave
Arthur Wilkinson

West Yorkshire Regt

23 November 1917
Churchyard Extension
K03

ARD07/01
 
FindAGrave 
Herbert Carter

Royal Army Service Corps

18 December 1942 
 
Cemetery
U 815 

ARD06/01

FindAGrave
Adam Blades

West Yorkshire Regiment

27 August 1918 
Cemetery
U 835

ARD06/02
Thomas Francis Bellamy

1st/5th York & Lancs Regt

13 October 1915 
Cemetery
U 827 

ARD06/03
Albert Wordsworth Sayles

KOYLI

27 August 1918 
Cemetery
U 890 

ARD06/04
Melvin Clement Williamson

Royal Field Artillery

2 May 1918
Cemetery
U 843

ARD06/05
Frederick Charles Morton

KOYLI

3 October 1918 
 
Cemetery
 U 872a

ARD06/06
George Wilks

10th York & Lancs Regt

6 May 1917 
Cemetery
V 898 

ARD06/07
Fred Bramley

West Yorkshire Regt

17 September 1918 
Cemetery
V 940 

ARD06/08
Tom Bennett

Royal Armoured Corps

2 March 1945 
 

Cemetery
V 972 

ARD06/09
Richard Henry Myers

East Yorkshire Regt

24 October 1918 
Cemetery
E 225 

ARD06/10
James Edward Thompson

1st/5th York & Lancs Regt

9 October 1917 
 
Cemetery
F 255A 

ARD06/11
Leonard Lawrence

RAF Volunteer Reserve

22 June 1944 
Cemetery
F 291 

ARD06/12
Harry Shaw

6th York & Lancs Regt

1 October 1918 
Cemetery
 G 336

ARD06/13
Frank Bird

8th Btn KOYLI

6 April 1916 
Cemetery
G 343/344

ARD06/14
Joseph Binns

West Yorkshire Regt

3 September 1918 
Cemetery
H 547 

ARD06/15
William H Grant

King's Own Scottish Borderers

1 March 1918 
Cemetery
H 627 

ARD06/16
W W Harry Parkin

West Yorkshire Regt

28 March 1941 
Cemetery
P 217 

ARD06/17
Ernest Watson

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

4 June 1915 
Cemetery
J 652 

ARD06/18
James Hodnett

Green Howards 
(Yorkshire Regiment)

28 June 1944 
Cemetery
Y 109 

ARD06/19
John Edward Burley

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

11 June 1942 
Cemetery
R 534 

ARD06/20
 
Sam Barker

 York & Lancs Regt

13 June 1917 
Cemetery
D 166 

ARD06/22
George William Binns

York & Lancs Regt

30 September 1917 
Cemetery
D 189

ARD06/21
George Mower

Drake Btn, RNVR

13 November 1916 
Cemetery
D 187

ARD06/23
John Swinmurn

York & Lancs Regt

1 July 1916 
Cemetery
G 445

ARD06/24
Joseph Walton

Royal Garrison Artillery

19 May 1918
Cemetery
Z 114

ARD06/25
William Galley

Royal Air Force

3 October 1942
Aircraftman 1st class William Galley
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BWMP #ARD06

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